Alan Jacobs: Internet in the Classroom
I spend a good deal of time talking to my students about technological resources available to them, and trying to get them to use those resources well and wisely. I think it’s pretty clear from this blog that I am anything but a Luddite or techno-skeptic. But I do not want any internet access in my classrooms. I forbid laptops in the classroom altogether. I teach literature, and I believe that my primary job in the classroom is to instruct students in better use of the technology of the book. There is no more evidently false assumption than the assumption that people — even academically successful people — are comfortable with books and use them well.
Every class I teach is focused in one way or another on helping people understand how books work and how to get the most from them. We can unplug for three hours a week or so in order to pursue that goal, can’t we?
I’m completely on board. For most subjects, internet access seems completely unnecessary. How does it enhance a study of Shakespeare, or Poe, or World History? If you have worthy reading materials and a skilled teacher, the internet will only serve as a distraction. The potential for distraction is much stronger than the potential benefit. Not only is there a distinct possibility that many students would rather bounce around Facebook or Twitter during class than pay attention, but even those who are seeking relevant information will be a) overwhelmed by information which they aren’t trained to parse for quality, and b) staring at their screens rather than listening to the teacher.
We should trust teachers and professors to provide the information necessary to a robust curriculum. That is why we train them, after all. If there’s relevant and beneficial information online, the teacher can provide it for the students, or the students can bring it to the teacher’s attention.
This obviously doesn’t apply to web or IT classes, or other subjects that are necessarily wired.
Link and title jacked verbatim from JT @ Between Two Worlds (all that other stuff was me, though).
I've noticed at work how younger people (I'm 52) bounce around on the computer a lot, both in the workspace and on the public computers. I admire their ability to take in information quickly. I can't do that- I'm slow and methodical. And I much prefer hard copy to reading on a screen.
How does one train to parse for quality? How do we trust teachers and professors to provide information when everyone has an agenda? Quite often I read or hear one side of an argument and it seems O.K. until I read or hear the other side. There are so many facets to consider… I get overwhelmed!
The major problem students have parsing for quality is that you have to have a certain level of familiarity with the subject or with research in order to look at a Google search and know what's reliable.
For example, a few years ago I wouldn't have been able to understand the difference in reliability between Crossway's Justin Taylor (Between Two Worlds) and Slice of Laodicea. And the difference is huge. In order to parse for quality you need to learn trustworthy names from your teachers and mentors, then learn enough about the subject (and logic) to weed out the crap for yourself.
As far as teachers with agendas, you can usually see those tendencies from miles away, and you can usually counteract that influence by making note of the people they ridicule and checking their references, so to speak. Master's and Doctoral students will have a much easier time than undergrads.
The teacher's job is to bring the high quality, representative information to the students, so they can learn to recognize it when they see it.
/Oh, I get a kick out of my funny face!/